There has been talk about how you really have no privacy on the
internet. More specifically, service providers and websites like Google,
Facebook, etc., are selling your personal information to make a profit.
Some of you know this already, and some of you do not, so let us discuss.
Defining personal data: So on the internet, personal data
is not just your bank account numbers (which these companies do not sell).
Instead it is all the websites you visit and your personal preferences on
the web. So if you like anime, or cartoons they will know, and even how
often you watch a particular show. They will know if you do online
banking by how often you visit a banks website to log in. Heck, they will
even know if you watch porn, and how often you search for your favorite porn star.
All this data is then bundled, and sold to other websites, and services
which then customize advertisements or searches to meet what you like.
But, this disturbed people for obvious reasons, including the fact that
this data is used to make a profit off of you.
Thus the opt in switch: An opt in switch is a proposal by
some people to websites like Facebook and Google, so that people who want to
maintain privacy can have it. Basically, you would have to say ok for a
website or web service to use your data and sell it. Very simple idea,
but with major impacts.
For one, these companies would potentially
lose money. Reason being, the buying and selling of data supports
business operations. This includes making, or altering websites to suit
us, the regular internet community who may visit their websites or use their
services. So that search may take longer than normal, or you may miss
that advertisement for that tool set when you visit a home depot site. It
is really hard to tell you my reader how different it would be for businesses
to attract your business on the internet if an opt in switch existed.
They could not put your favorite actor, website or item at the top of a
search list. Literally, these websites and services could not offer as many
deals, or specials as all that data we give them every day provides them with
the ability to customize our internet experience to us. Sure, they profit
off of all this, but if they did not, they would not be able to exist in the
first place.
Conclusion: The internet is a public square,
where all information is free to move around. This includes our data on
personal preferences, tastes, and what we may have just bought online. An
opt in switch does sound like a nice idea, but I personally do not know.
Is there any real disadvantage to allowing these websites and services
share our information on how often we update a wish list on Amazon, or search
Godzilla on Google? The only real data I am worried about is my bank
account, as I just do not want my really important data stolen. As such,
data of useless searches or fancies has no negative impact on me so long as
these companies integrity remains intact. And last I checked, they do
really well keeping the really important information safe. So no opt in
switch for me, in my case, but I cannot speak for you. Therefore if you
think this is a worthy idea, then pursue it, if not, then Que Sera sera.
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